Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:2.7.12.2 (MEK)
 18,161 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The protein kinase C (PKC) family is the most prominent target of tumor-promoting phorbol esters. For the PKCepsilon isozyme, different intracellular localizations and oncogenic potential in several but not all experimental systems have been reported. To obtain information about PKCepsilon-signaling, we investigated the effects of constitutively active rat PKCepsilon (PKCepsilonA/E, alanine 159 is replaced by glutamic acid) in HeLa cells in a doxycycline-inducible vector. Upon induction of PKCepsilonA/E expression by doxycycline, the major part of PKCepsilonA/E was localized to the Golgi. This led (i) to phosphorylations of PKCepsilon(S729), Elk-1(S383), PDK1(S241) and Rb(S807/S811), (ii) to elevated expression of receptor of activated C kinase 2 (RACK2) after 12 h, and (iii) increased colony formation in soft agar, increased cell migration and invasion, but not to decreased doubling time. Following induction of PKCepsilonA/E-expression by doxycycline for 24 h and additional short-term treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), PKCepsilonA/E translocated to the plasma membrane and increased phosphorylation of MARCKS(S152/156). Treatment with doxycycline/TPA or TPA alone increased phosphorylations of Elk-1(S383), PDK1(S241), Rb(S807/S811), PKCdelta(T505), p38MAPK(T180/Y182), MEK1/2(S217/S221) and ERK2(T185/T187). MARCKS was not phosphorylated after treatment with TPA alone, demonstrating that in this system it is phosphorylated only by PKCepsilon localized to the plasma membrane but not by PKCalpha or delta, the other TPA-responsive PKC isozymes in HeLa cells. These results demonstrate that PKCepsilon can induce distinctly different signaling from the Golgi and from the plasma membrane.
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PMID:Signal transduction of constitutively active protein kinase C epsilon. 1916 30

p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK1) is an effector of both Ras/MEK/MAPK and PI3K/PDK1 pathways. We present evidence that RSK1 drives p27 phosphorylation at T198 to increase RhoA-p27 binding and cell motility. RSK1 activation and p27pT198 both increase in early G(1). As for many kinase-substrate pairs, cellular RSK1 coprecipitates with p27. siRNA to RSK1 and RSK1 inhibition both rapidly reduce cellular p27pT198. RSK1 overexpression increases p27pT198, p27-cyclin D1-Cdk4 complexes, and p27 stability. Moreover, RSK1 transfectants show mislocalization of p27 to cytoplasm, increased motility, and reduced RhoA-GTP, phospho-cofilin, and actin stress fibers, all of which were reversed by shRNA to p27. Phosphorylation by RSK1 increased p27pT198 binding to RhoA in vitro, whereas p27T157A/T198A bound poorly to RhoA compared with WTp27 in cells. Coprecipitation of cellular p27-RhoA was increased in cells with constitutive PI3K activation and increased in early G(1). Thus T198 phosphorylation not only stabilizes p27 and mislocalizes p27 to the cytoplasm but also promotes RhoA-p27 interaction and RhoA pathway inhibition. These data link p27 phosphorylation at T198 and cell motility. As for other PI3K effectors, RSK1 phosphorylates p27 at T198. Because RSK1 is also activated by MAPK, the increased cell motility and metastatic potential of cancer cells with PI3K and/or MAPK pathway activation may result in part from RSK1 activation, leading to accumulation of p27T198 in the cytoplasm, p27:RhoA binding, inhibition of RhoA/Rock pathway activation, and loss of actomyosin stability.
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PMID:RSK1 drives p27Kip1 phosphorylation at T198 to promote RhoA inhibition and increase cell motility. 1947 Apr 70

Oxidative stress and inflammation are implicated in the pathogenesis of many age-related diseases. We have demonstrated previously that oxidative inactivation of the proteasome is a molecular link between oxidative stress and overexpression of interleukin (IL)-8. Here, we elucidated a novel signaling cascade that leads to up-regulation of IL-8 in response to proteasome inactivation. The sequence of events in this cascade includes proteasome inactivation, activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (MKK)3/MKK6, activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), epidermal growth factor receptor phosphorylation, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) activation and increased IL-8 expression. Blocking any of these signaling pathways abolished the up-regulation of IL-8 induced by proteasome inhibition. Although Akt is also activated in response to proteasome inactivation, we found that the PI3K-dependent up-regulation of IL-8 is independent of 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase (PDK)1 and Akt. Inhibition of PDK1 and Akt with chemical inhibitors or expression of constitutive active Akt had little effects on IL-8 expression in response to proteasome inactivation. In contrast, inhibition of interleukin 2-inducible T cell kinase, a kinase downstream of PI3K, significantly reduced the expression and secretion of IL-8 in response to proteasome inactivation. Together, these data elucidate a novel signaling network that leads to increased IL-8 production in response to proteasome inactivation.
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PMID:Proteasome inactivation promotes p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activation and increases interleukin-8 production in retinal pigment epithelial cells. 1957 Sep 15

Plumbagin, derived from the plant Plumbago zeylanica, has been shown to chronically activate ERK1/2 and inhibit Akt activity in cancer cells. However, the acute effects of plumbagin on ERK1/2 and Akt activities remain unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of plumbagin on ERK1/2 and Akt activities in 3T3-L1 cells. Exposure of 3T3-L1 cells to plumbagin generated superoxide and activated both ERK1/2 and Akt. The plumbagin-stimulated ERK1/2 and Akt activities were sensitive to an antioxidant NAC, superoxide dismutase mimetic MnTBAP, superoxide scavenger Tiron and NAD(P)H oxidase inhibitor DPI. Plumbagin-stimulated ERK1/2 activity was attenuated by the MEK1/2 inhibitor PD98059 and Ras inhibitor manumycin A, whereas plumbagin-stimulated Akt activity was blocked by the PI3K inhibitor LY294002. Both plumbagin-stimulated ERK1/2 and Akt activities were attenuated by PP2, a Src inhibitor. Interestingly, inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase), but not Akt, activity leaded to attenuation of plumbagin-stimulated ERK1/2 activity. These results suggest that plumbagin activates NAD(P)H oxidase, Src, and PI3K, and that the activated PI3K or PDK1 subsequently stimulate Akt and Ras-Raf-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 in 3T3-L1 cells.
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PMID:Plumbagin activates ERK1/2 and Akt via superoxide, Src and PI3-kinase in 3T3-L1 cells. 2042 Aug 21

We explored the crosstalk between cell survival (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt) and mitogenic (Ras/Raf/MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)) signaling pathways activated by an epidermal growth factor (EGF) and analyzed their sensitivity to small molecule inhibitors in the PI3K-mutant estrogen receptor (ER)-positive MCF7 and T47D breast cancer cells. In contrast to MCF7 cells, ERK phosphorylation in T47D cells displayed resistance to MEK inhibition by several structurally different compounds, such as U0126, PD 098059 and PD 198306, MEK suppression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) and was also less sensitive to PI3K inhibition by wortmannin. Similar effect was observed in PI3K-wild type ER-positive BT-474 cells, albeit to a much lesser extent. MEK-independent ERK activation was induced only by ErbB receptor ligands and was resistant to inhibition of several kinases and phosphatases that are known to participate in the regulation of Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade. Although single agents against PDK1 or Akt did not affect EGF-induced ERK phosphorylation, a combination of PI3K/Akt and MEK inhibitors synergistically suppressed ERK activation and cellular growth. siRNA-mediated silencing of class I PI3K or Akt1/2 genes also significantly decreased U0126-resistant ERK phosphorylation. Our data suggest that in T47D cells ErbB family ligands induce a dynamic, PI3K/Akt-sensitive and MEK-independent compensatory ERK activation circuit that is absent in MCF7 cells. We discuss candidate proteins that can be involved in this activation circuitry and suggest that PDZ-Binding Kinase/T-LAK Cell-Originated Protein Kinase (PBK/TOPK) may play a role in mediating MEK-independent ERK activation.
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PMID:PI3K/Akt-sensitive MEK-independent compensatory circuit of ERK activation in ER-positive PI3K-mutant T47D breast cancer cells. 2047 74

Mutations in the PKHD1 gene result in autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) in humans. To determine the molecular mechanism of the cystogenesis in ARPKD, we recently generated a mouse model for ARPKD that carries a targeted mutation in the mouse orthologue of human PKHD1. The homozygous mutant mice display hepatorenal cysts whose phenotypes are similar to those of human ARPKD patients. By littermates of this mouse, we developed two immortalized renal collecting duct cell lines with Pkhd1 and two without. Under nonpermissive culture conditions, the Pkhd1(-/-) renal cells displayed aberrant cell-cell contacts and tubulomorphogenesis. The Pkhd1(-/-) cells also showed significantly reduced cell proliferation and elevated apoptosis. To validate this finding in vivo, we examined proliferation and apoptosis in the kidneys of Pkhd1(-/-) mice and their wildtype littermates. Using proliferation (PCNA and Histone-3) and apoptosis (TUNEL and caspase-3) markers, similar results were obtained in the Pkhd1(-/-) kidney tissues as in the cells. To identify the molecular basis of these findings, we analyzed the effect of Pkhd1 loss on multiple putative signaling regulators. We demonstrated that the loss of Pkhd1 disrupts multiple major phosphorylations of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and these disruptions either inhibit the Ras/C-Raf pathways to suppress MEK/ERK activity and ultimately reduce cell proliferation, or suppress PDK1/AKT to upregulate Bax/caspase-9/caspase-3 and promote apoptosis. Our findings indicate that apoptosis may be a major player in the cyst formation in ARPKD, which may lead to new therapeutic strategies for human ARPKD.
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PMID:Cystogenesis in ARPKD results from increased apoptosis in collecting duct epithelial cells of Pkhd1 mutant kidneys. 2087 7

Hypotonic cell swelling in the myocardium is induced by pathological conditions, including ischemia-reperfusion, and affects the activities of ion transporters/channels and gene expression. However, the signaling mechanism activated by hypotonic stress (HS) is not fully understood in cardiac myocytes. A specialized protein kinase cascade, consisting of Pkc1 and MAPKs, is activated by HS in yeast. Here, we demonstrate that protein kinase N1 (PKN1), a serine/threonine protein kinase and a homolog of Pkc1, is activated by HS (67% osmolarity) within 5 min and reaches peak activity at 60 min in cardiac myocytes. Activation of PKN1 by HS was accompanied by Thr(774) phosphorylation and concomitant activation of PDK1, a potential upstream regulator of PKN1. HS also activated RhoA, thereby increasing interactions between PKN1 and RhoA. PP1 (10(-5) M), a selective Src family tyrosine kinase inhibitor, significantly suppressed HS-induced activation of RhoA and PKN1. Constitutively active PKN1 significantly increased the transcriptional activity of Elk1-GAL4, an effect that was inhibited by dominant negative MEK. Overexpression of PKN1 significantly increased ERK phosphorylation, whereas downregulation of PKN1 inhibited HS-induced ERK phosphorylation. Downregulation of PKN1 and inhibition of ERK by U-0126 both significantly inhibited the survival of cardiac myocytes in the presence of HS. These results suggest that a signaling cascade, consisting of Src, RhoA, PKN1, and ERK, is activated by HS, thereby promoting cardiac myocyte survival.
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PMID:Hypotonic swelling-induced activation of PKN1 mediates cell survival in cardiac myocytes. 2103 31

IGFI signaling pathway is sufficient to regulate myofibre hypertrophy postnatally, which is associated with muscle mass in economically livestock. In the present study, we drafted the developmental expression pattern of eight genes implicated in IGFI system across six stages of postnatal myofibre growth in Yorkshire and Tongcheng pigs. The results indicated that GRB2 may contribute to increased DNA content in postnatal myofibre hypertrophy via GRB2-Ras-Raf-MEK-ERK sub-pathway; INSR, PDK1, IRS1 and eIF4E may contribute to high growth rate via stimulating the rate of protein synthesis and inhibiting the rate of protein degradation. In addition, the results suggested 60 days maybe a very important stage in postnatal myofibre growth. Moreover, higher mRNA level of IRS1 and GLUT4 maybe associated with inferior meat quality in Yorkshire compared to Tongcheng pig. Therefore, IGFI signaling pathway regulates myofibre hypertrophy postnatally via complicated signal effectors, which may have negative impact on meat quality simultaneously.
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PMID:Developmental expression changes of the genes involved in IGFI signaling pathway in longissimus dorsi muscle of Tongcheng and Yorkshire pigs during postnatal growth. 2124 87

There is strong evidence that deregulation of prolactin (PRL) signaling contributes to pathogenesis and chemoresistance of breast cancer. Therefore, understanding cross-talk between distinct signal transduction pathways triggered by activation of the prolactin receptor (PRL-R), is essential for elucidating the pathogenesis of metastatic breast cancer. In this study, we applied a sequential inhibitory analysis of various signaling intermediates to examine the hierarchy of protein interactions within the PRL signaling network and to evaluate the relative contributions of multiple signaling branches downstream of PRL-R to the activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases ERK1 and ERK2 in T47D and MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Quantitative measurements of the phosphorylation/activation patterns of proteins showed that PRL simultaneously activated Src family kinases (SFKs) and the JAK/STAT, phosphoinositide-3 (PI3)-kinase/Akt and MAPK signaling pathways. The specific blockade or siRNA-mediated suppression of SFK/FAK, JAK2/STAT5, PI3-kinase/PDK1/Akt, Rac/PAK or Ras regulatory circuits revealed that (1) the PI3-kinase/Akt pathway is required for activation of the MAPK/ERK signaling cascade upon PRL stimulation; (2) PI3-kinase-mediated activation of the c-Raf-MEK1/2-ERK1/2 cascade occurs independent of signaling dowstream of STATs, Akt and PKC, but requires JAK2, SFKs and FAK activities; (3) activated PRL-R mainly utilizes the PI3-kinase-dependent Rac/PAK pathway rather than the canonical Shc/Grb2/SOS/Ras route to initiate and sustain ERK1/2 signaling. By interconnecting diverse signaling pathways PLR may enhance proliferation, survival, migration and invasiveness of breast cancer cells.
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PMID:Prolactin-stimulated activation of ERK1/2 mitogen-activated protein kinases is controlled by PI3-kinase/Rac/PAK signaling pathway in breast cancer cells. 2172 27

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a transmembrane protein receptor, is a member of ErbB family with signal-transducing tyrosine kinase activity. After combined with the ligand, EGFR homologous or heterologous dimers are formed to induce intracellular signal transduction, activate downstream signal transduction pathways, and then produce a series of biological effects. RAF/MEK/RAS/ERK pathway is relevant to cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis; while PDK1/AKT /PI3K pathway is involved in cell migration and adhesion. EGFR can promote the maturity of pulmonary type II epithelial cells and the synthesis and secretion of pulmonary surfactant. EGFR shows the effect on mammal lungs in a time-space and dose-dependent manner. The down-regulated expression of it will lead to immature lung development, while the over-expression can promote the cell proliferation, invasion and metastasis of the lung cancer cells. This paper reviewed advances in the study for EGFR and its signal pathway, as well as the relationship among EGFR, atelectasis and lung cancer.
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PMID:[Relationship of epidermal growth factor receptor in lung development]. 2230 70


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